Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered

I keep forgetting that Anywhere but Her is not poetry. At the same time, I am glad it is not, for poetry sometimes requires effort to fully comprehend the intent of the author.

It is not that D. Herrle’s stories and sketches are not layered enough to warrant leisurely study, that they wouldn’t reap deeper levels of comprehension if a reader wanted to spend the time with them. It’s just that the accessibility of easier reading, coupled with the beauty of poetry is refreshing; it’s also important because everyone these days seems to be in such a hurry.

The author invites his readers to “drift like a breeze-blown cloud through city streets” and, those who choose to do so will be seduced by what we see there; seduction is a subject near and dear to Herrle’s heart.

As it turns out, in spite of the speed in which the world turns, I read this book a second time. I became convinced that Herrle is at is best when he is inside the minds of characters most different from him, the old ones, the female ones. I’d like to tell you about dozens of discoveries I made. Instead I will point out only two, just enough to entice—ok, to seduce—you:

One of the first sketches starts simply: “When humans sleep they are equal.” That is certainly an idea worth exploring.

“Old Lovely” is my favorite story. This is a story of youth meeting age, age remembering youth, age maintaining youth.

The other stories, however, are delicious and different and surprising. The connection you will find between them is simply the genius (and seduction) of D. Herrle.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.Her newly released Harkening, also a collection of stories, has won three. Learn more at: http://carolynhowardjohnson.com.)